The rich mans charge delivered in a sermon at the Spittle upon Monday in…The rich mans charge delivered in a sermon at the Spittle vpon Monday in…

But yet still all this wealth is but [Greek or Hebrew], it enricheth a man but between this and his grave. His glory will not descend after him; in all points ¹as he came into the World, so he must go out, naked in and naked out; he brought nothing in, he can carry nothing out; he passeth, but the Earth abides, and his house will know him no more. And this ⟨p. 14⟩shows the baseness of worldly wealth, First, That it is communicable to the men of this World, who have their portion only here; their Bellies may ²be filled with these Treasures; they may have more then heart could wish, they may be mighty in power, and spend their days in wealth, they may join house to house, and lay field to field: No man can know love or hatred by these things; a Nabal, and a Doeg may have them as well as an Abraham, or a David. Jacobs Ladder which conveyeth to Heaven, may have its foot in a smoking Cottage, and there may be a Trap-door in a stately Palace which may let down to Hell. Secondly, That it is of but a very narrow use, like a Candle, needful in the night, but absurd in the day; like Brass Tokens, fit to buy some small trifles with, but not to purchase an Inheritance. All the difference which riches make amongst men, are but [Greek or Hebrew], in this little isthmus of Mortality. As in casting accounts, one Counter stands for a thousand pounds, another for a penny; as in setting Letters, the same Letter may one while be put into the name of a Prince, and the next time into the name of a Beggar; but when the Counters are put into the Bag, and the Letters into their Boxes, they are there all alike; no difference between the dust of Dives and Lazarus. Come to Ahab and Jezebel when the Dogs have done with them, and their Vineyard and their Paint is vanished unto all eternity. A living Dog is better then a dead Lion, a dead Lion no ³better then a dead Dog.

But yet still all this wealth is but 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, it inricheth a man but between this and his grave. His glory will not descend after him; in all points ¹